


Nightwing Lake

by Shade_Kayne



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Animal Transformation, Ballroom Dancing, Based on the barbie version, Brudick - Freeform, Fairy Tale Retellings, M/M, Magic, Romance, barbie movies are my guilty pleasure, inspired by another fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-26
Updated: 2017-02-09
Packaged: 2018-09-19 23:30:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9465443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shade_Kayne/pseuds/Shade_Kayne
Summary: Inspired by Moonsetta's Beauty and the Bat. Brudick Swan Lake AU.Dick didn't realize that following a unicorn into the forest would get him turned into a swan, honest! Now he's a swan by day and hero of Gotham Forest by night. If only he could get someone to fall in love with him to break the spell, now that would be great.Based on the Barbie Swan Lake movie.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I absolutely loved Moonsetta's Beauty and the Bat, so this is dedicated to her. I recently reread it and thought of all the other fairy tales that Bruce and Dick could easily fit into, with this being my favorite. I mostly based this on the Barbie Swan Lake movie since I love it, but I also looked up the original Tchaikovsky version too.

In a small town, on the edge of a thick woods, a young acrobat lived with his godfather. His parents died in a trapeze accident years ago, leaving the last Flying Grayson orphaned, but not alone. Dick grew into a beautiful young man, a lithe athlete who was admired by everyone who saw his amazing acrobatics. Haley, the now-retired ringmaster and Dick’s godfather, couldn't have been more proud. Dick’s silken black hair and sapphire blue eyes were envied by all. Now that he was a young adult, admirers were lining up for his hand in marriage, and while Dick loved the attention, he wasn't interested in any of the offers given.  
That morning, Dick was practicing cartwheels in the town plaza while a small crowd watched. Every flip and twist was met with oohs and aahhhs. As Dick finished up his routine, the crowd applauded and Dick took a bow, but the clapping suddenly stopped. Dick looked up, confused by the unusual silence. The townspeople’s jaws were hitting the ground, but not from Dick’s performance. The acrobat turned to look at what caught the crowd’s attention and was shocked to see a unicorn. A real-life unicorn. The mare was a jet black color, with a single white streak in its mane at the base of its horn. Its big green eyes locked with Dick’s, and for a minute Dick felt a connection to the unicorn, like they knew each other from somewhere.  
The moment was broken by a shout as people broke out of their shock. Three men found some rope and tried to lasso the unicorn, who immediately bolted for the forest. The men chased after it, followed quickly by the rest of the crowd. Dick would've joined them as well, but he saw an alleyway that got him to the edge of town faster. Reaching the other end of the road, Dick was now in direction the unicorn was galloping towards. The black stallion was going as fast as it could, but someone still managed to throw a rope around its neck. The unicorn reared back and whinnied as it was choked, but the townspeople did nothing to stop. On the contrary, they were holding onto the rope as tight as they could.  
Unlike the others, Dick saw the unicorn’s pain and wanted to help the poor creature. Looking around, Dick found an ax stuck in a block of firewood. Pulling it free, Dick ran to the unicorn’s rescue, cutting the lasso and letting the unicorn run away. The black stallion galloped away into the woods and disappeared beyond the trees, but Dick wasn't satisfied. While he wanted the unicorn to be free, he still wanted to see the majestic creature, so he ran into the woods after it. In its wake, the unicorn had left a trail of hoof prints and broken twigs for Dick to follow. It wasn't long before Dick spotted it again. At the base of a waterfall, an uprooted tree made a natural bridge, reaching up to a cave that was mostly hidden behind the falls. The unicorn stepped on and trotted up the tree and behind the waterfall, no problem.  
Dick was glad he was in his acrobatic clothing; if he was in regular clothing he wouldn't be able to trek through the woods and up a fallen tree. Dick climbed up the tree, careful not to look down as he did at the water down below, and reached the cave right after the unicorn did. The small cave appeared to be a dead end, but the unicorn went all the way inside anyway. At the back of the cave, the unicorn tapped the rock with its horn, causing the cave to glow a silvery color to match its horn. The stone began to move, revealing a tunnel behind it, which the unicorn was quick to gallop through. Dick followed after it, only nearly getting into the tunnel before the rock starting closing itself again. Dick stopped for a moment to wonder how he would get back home, then ignored the thought and continued following after the black unicorn.  
Dick walked toward the light shining in from the other side of the tunnel and exited to find hay he had come to a clearing in the forest. A beautiful crystal clear lake filled up the clearing, surrounded by tall willow trees. A flock of swans were swimming in the middle of the lake peacefully and Dick was tempted to just stay there for a while and admire them, but a neigh from nearby reminded him why he was here. By one of the willow trees, the black unicorn was caught in a bramble. Or more accurately, the rope that had been lassoed around its neck had gotten tangled in a bramble and the unicorn was getting choked by it. Dick tried approaching it slowly.  
“Hold still,” he said gently. To his shock, the unicorn talked back.  
“Easy for you to say,” the unicorn grumbled. “You’re not the one getting strangled here.”  
“Yo-You can talk?!”  
The unicorn sighed in annoyance. “Of course. Now are you going to just stand there with your mouth open or are you going to help me?”  
Dick nodded, but the unicorn squirmed, pulling the rope around its neck tighter and choking itself.  
“Hold on, I’ll find something to cut you free with,” Dick said as he started looking around the forest ground for a sharp rock.  
“Sure, you do that smartass,” the unicorn mumbled under its breath.  
Dick wandered a few feet away to look and soon found a boulder nearly twice his size. On the side, tangled up in vines, was a deep blue crystal, already cut and sharpened to perfection. As he got closer to the crystal, Dick got a strong feeling that he was being watched, but shook it off. He took the crystal from the vines and brought it back over to the black unicorn. The creature saw him coming and stopped struggling, its green eyes wide.  
“Where did you get that?” The unicorn asked.  
“From that rock over there.”  
“You mean, you just took it?”  
“I’ll put it right back when I’m done if you want me to.”  
Dick took the sharpened end of the crystal like a knife and cut through the lasso around the unicorn’s neck, freeing it once more. The black stallion shook the rest of the rope away before excitedly turning to the rock.  
“Did you see that, Babs? He just took the crystal like it was nothing!” The unicorn exclaimed. Dick turned around and gasped when he saw a redheaded woman floating a few feet in the air. She looked to be about Dick’s age, so she must have been in her twenties like him. She wore glasses and a beautiful, yet simple dress. Since she was floating, Dick didn't immediately notice, but her legs didn't work. Even when she lowered herself so that she was as tall as he was, her legs buckled.  
“I’m sorry if I surprised you,” she said. “My name is Barbara. I’m the Oracle of this forest. My friends and I have been waiting for you to come and use that crystal for a long time now.”  
“Me?” Dick asked.  
“First, let me thank you for helping Jason get free,” Barbara said. “But Jason, you know you’re not supposed to go anywhere near humans. You could've gotten yourself killed!”  
“I could’ve handled myself,” the unicorn — Jason muttered. Barbara turned back to Dick.  
“What is your name?” She asked him.  
“My name’s Dick Grayson, miss.”  
“Well Dick, that crystal belongs to you now.”  
“To him?” Jason scoffed. “How’s pretty boy here gonna save us?”  
“Save you?” Dick said. “Miss, I think you have me confused with someone else.”  
“I don't think so,” Barbara said. “You see, many years ago, we all lived in this forest, Gotham Forest, along with a man named Ra’s al Ghul. When I gained power as the Oracle of the forest, Ra’s got really mad and left. Everything was fine for a while, but then Ra’s returned, along with his daughter, Talia. I tried to make him leave, but he used the magic of the Lazarus Pit to turn my friends into animals, including Jason.”  
As Barbara told the story, Dick noticed a few other animals crawling out from under bushes and behind trees. A skunk, porcupine, and a mouse appeared and came up close to where their Oracle was floating.  
“I fought against Ra’s with all my power,” Barbara continued. “But it didn't help, so I put as much power as I could into that crystal with the hopes that someone would come and find it. Unfortunately, that crystal came with the price of my legs.”  
“I’m sorry,” Dick said, but Barbara shook her head.  
“It’s not your fault. Besides, now that you’re here, you’ll be able to help us fight Ra’s and get him to reverse his spell on us.”  
“Fight him? I’ve never fought anyone in my life! I’m an acrobat, not a warrior.”  
“Thought so,” Jason said. Barbara glared at him.  
“We can't force you, Dick,” she said. “But I truly think you can help. It’ll be dangerous, but you have that crystal to protect you.”  
“I’m sorry, Barbara, but I have to get back to my godfather. He’s probably worried about me cause I’ve been gone for so long.”  
Dick handed the crystal to her. She nodded solemnly.  
“I understand, Dick. I’ll have Jason show you the way out of the forest.”  
“What?”  
“Jason!”  
“Fine.”


	2. Chapter 2

Dick followed Jason as the unicorn lead the way back to town.   
“Barbara really thinks you’re special, you know,” Jason said.  
“Yeah, I know. But I’m not special. I definitely can't take down an evil sorcerer, that's for sure.”  
“Maybe not normally, but you’ve got that crystal. I’ve seen what it can do, you’d probably be fine. I bet you can kick Ra’s al Ghul’s ass with that thing!”  
“Really?”  
“Oh I don't think you can ‘kick my ass’, but maybe I’ll let you try,” a new voice said. Dick looked up to see two huge hawks fly down to him. The bigger of the two transformed into a man once it landed while the smaller became a young woman. The man looked older, with white streaks in his already grey hair, but the woman was young, with luscious brown curls and an ample chest.   
“I heard from a little birdie that you have the Oracle’s crystal, is that correct?” Ra’s asked.  
“Feathers ruffled, Ra’s?” Jason teased.  
“Oh I’m shaking in my boots,” Ra’s said sarcastically. Talia laughed.   
“Talia, my dear,” he said. “How would you like a new feather pillow?”  
“Any time, Father.”  
Ra’s reached into his pocket and brought out a bottle of sickly green liquid. As he uncorked it, the liquid began to glow. Ra’s suddenly threw the bottle at Dick, splashing the acrobat with the liquid. Dick began glowing the same unnatural green as Ra’s magic, then shrank and changed shape. When Dick stopped glowing, he had completely transformed into a black swan with bright blue stripes along the tips of his wings. Ra’s began laughing at Dick’s pathetic form, but he suddenly stopped when Jason rammed his horn at Ra’s back. Ra’s cried out in pain and Jason turned and ran away.  
“Run away, Dick!” Jason yelled as he ran. Dick took his advice, flapping his swan wings and taking flight. Dick managed to fly a small distance, then landed on the surface of lake and swam the rest of the way across.  
“Over here, Dick,” Barbara’s voice called. Dick paddled over to one of the many willow trees standing on the edge of the lake. He ducked his head under the curtain-like leaves to find the Oracle floating there. She had a ring of silver in her hand, which she placed of Dick’s head when he swam near her. Barbara then placed the blue crystal on the ring, which then glowed bright blue as the crystal was melded onto it. The glow dimmed, revealing the silver ring to have become a little swan-sized crown for Dick.  
“From now on, as long as you wear the crystal, Ra’s al Ghul’s magic can’t hurt you,” she said. They were interrupted however, by Ra’s and Talia joining them underneath the willow tree.   
“Puny little Oracle,” Ra’s said. “You still think you can interfer with my destiny? Hah! Gotham Forest is mine, just as always should’ve been. Now just hand over the crown and get it over with.”  
“And let you destroy the rest of our home? Never.”  
“Well then, enjoy the show, because this boy’s days are over.”  
Ra’s took out his bottle of magic from the Lazarus pit, which had refilled itself with that same glowing green liquid. Dick closed his eyes as Ra’s threw the bottle at him again, but the splash of acidic magic never came. Dick opened his eyes to find himself surrounded by a shield of bright blue light, shaped like a bird spreading its wings. The green Lazarus magic bounced off of Dick’s blue bird like it was water, and the blue bird only shined even brighter. At its brightest, the blue bird of light consumed the green Lazarus magic, then disappeared in a burst of teal energy. Both Barbara and Ra’s were shocked to see Dick still fine, if still a swan. Barbara then smiled victoriously and turned to her enemy.  
“Leave now, Ra’s. There’s nothing you can do here,” the Oracle said. Ra’s huffed.  
“That’s what you think. Come, Talia,” Ra’s said before transforming himself into a hawk and flying away. Talia followed her father’s lead, and they both flew off beyond the trees. Now that the danger was gone, Dick waddled onto the shore and was met by Barbara and Jason, who had galloped around the lake to meet up with them.  
“I’m so sorry about this, Dick,” Barbara said. He spread his wings for her to see.  
“Do you think you can change me back?” he asked.  
“Not completely, but I think I can change you back temporarily, if only for a short amount of time. For some of the others who’ve been cursed by Ra’s al Ghul, I’ve been able to let them transform at sunrise and sunset. During the day, they are woodland animals, but at night, they return to their normal forms. I can cast the same spell on you, but you’ll still turn back into a swan when the sun rises.”  
“Please, do it anyway.”  
Barbara rested her hand on the top of Dick’s head, causing a few sparks of magic to fly.   
“There. Now you’ll change back to being human and sunset with the others.”  
“Who are the others, exactly?”  
“I’ll go get them,” Jason said. “Sunset isn’t too far from now anyway.”  
Jason cantered off to find the other cursed animals. Barbara floated down to the ground, sitting down in a bed of flowers. Dick took the time to get used to his new form. His parents did always say that he flew across the trapeze like a robin, but this wasn’t what he had in mind. It was the wrong bird, but swans were graceful too. Dick wondered if he would ever get used to the fact that he would be a swan for the rest of his life. Eventually Jason returned, followed by the same skunk, porcupine, and mouse that Dick had seen with Barbara earlier. They all stared at Dick and the crystal set in his new crown.  
“Is that what I think it is?” the porcupine asked.  
“It’s a black swan, Tim,” the skunk answered.  
“I meant the crystal, Steph!”  
“Oh, yeah. Yup, definitely the crystal.”  
“Dick, the porcupine is named Tim, the skunk is named Stephanie, and the mouse is names Cass,” Barbara introduced. Tim and Steph each waved a paw in greeting, while Cass bowed and swished her tail back and forth. As the sun set, all three of them began to glow. Jason and Dick began to glow as well, and they all began morphing into human shape. When they stopped glowing, Dick got a good look at the group.   
Jason was taller than Dick, and had more muscle, but otherwise looked a lot like him. His hair was the same deep black as his fur as a unicorn, with the same white streak in his bangs. Tim, Steph, and Cass were all a little shorter than Dick, and they all looked different. Tim had shaggy black hair and a scrawny build. Steph had soft blonde curls that bracketed her round face. Cass had bone straight black hair and delicate features. All four former animals were wearing casual clothes, what they must have been wearing when Ra’s transformed them into their other forms. Dick was glad that he himself had also returned to normal. He was still wearing his acrobatic clothing from before, but it had been dirtied and roughed up from his hiking through the forest. Dick was also still wearing his silver crown, but it was now more like a silver headband that rested right on his forehead.  
Cass stepped forward towards Dick and took his hands in hers.  
“You’re one of us now,” she said with a small smile.


	3. Chapter 3

"That’s very kind of you,” Dick told Cass, slipping his hand back. “But I really have to get back home as quick as possible now.”  
“Remember Dick,” Barbara said. “You may be human now, but you’ll be a swan again once sunrise comes.”  
“Right,” Dick sighed. “Is there any cure to this? Even just rumors you might have heard about it? There’s got to be some kind of failsafe.”  
“Well, there’s always the age-old method of getting someone to fall in love with you, but that won't be easy when you turn into a swan during the day.”  
“I still have to at least try.”  
***  
Far away, beyond the forest, was a castle that housed the royal family of the kingdom. The Wayne family was once the most proud family of the land, but tragedy struck down the king and queen when they were killed by an assassin. The orphaned prince, Bruce, was understandably heartbroken, and was determined to hunt down his parents’ killer. With the help of the kingdom’s league of knights, the assassin was caught and put in jail, but Prince Bruce’s heart was still heavy with grief. For the rest of his childhood, he was raised by the family’s beloved butler, Alfred.  
Nowadays, Prince Bruce spent his days with his friend, Harvey Dent, the son of the family’s best lawyer. The two passed time fighting, training their skills, hunting, and generally being young men. While Prince Bruce would be glad to continue on his adventurous lifestyle forever, Alfred was concerned with the kingdom’s future. Without a queen, Bruce could not become a proper king. Alfred became busy looking for eligible princesses from other kingdoms and arranging balls for Bruce to mingle, but Bruce just wasn't interested in any of the girls. Alfred was beginning to wonder if Bruce was interested in girls at all. He supposed that having Bruce marry another prince would be fine as well. Perhaps they would adopt a child to further the Wayne line.  
At the current moment, Prince Bruce and his friend Harvey were practicing their sword fighting out in the courtyard. Alfred was watching them from the window of the royal study. Maybe Bruce would be happy to find a partner who could fence with him. With that in mind, Alfred decided to invite all princesses and princes from the nearby kingdoms to the next royal ball. He’ll have the royal scribes add it to the messages being sent throughout the kingdom, along with that missing persons notice for the young acrobat from one of their small towns.   
***  
Deep in the forest, Ra’s al Ghul and Talia were lounging in their palace, planning their next attack.  
“Father, what are you going to do about that boy?” Talia asked.  
“I’m going to get that crystal if I have to rip that crown right off his head,” he said as he paced the room.  
“Oh come on, Father. Your magic from the Lazarus Pit clearly isn't up to par if you couldn't just kill him back at the lake. I’m sure even a regular human could do it now!”  
Ra’s stopped pacing and snapped his fingers.  
“That’s it! Now that he’s a swan he’s a creature of the Gotham Forest! Even though a sorcerer can't hurt him, a normal human can! Thank you, Talia, you’re a genius!”  
Ra’s transformed himself into a hawk and flew out one of the palace’s windows. He circled around the forest, looking for a human hunter who might be around. After searching for a while, he found a man riding a horse through the trees. Ra’s landed on a high branch to watch the man. The hunter had a bow and arrow at the ready, but what really caught Ra’s eye was the crown on the young man’s head, identifying him as Prince Bruce.  
Ra’s swooped down to get Bruce’s attention and circled him until the prince notched an arrow at him. He flew off towards the waterfall which guarded the tunnel to the Oracle’s favorite lake, flying slowly enough that Prince Bruce was sure to follow him. Once he reached the waterfall, he hid behind it and transformed back into his human self and watched Prince Bruce hop off of his horse. Ra’s took some of his magic from the Lazarus Pit and sprinkled it on the rock while Bruce couldn't see him. The adventurous prince climbed up the fallen tree and investigated the tunnel before entering like Ra’s wanted. On the other side of the tunnel, Bruce was amazed by the beauty of the lake, just like how Dick was before him.   
Being a beautiful day as it was, Dick was in his swan form. Still graceful even in the form of waterfowl, Dick flew above the lake, practicing his flying. After having flown around all morning, he found that he enjoyed flying as a swan just as much as he enjoyed swooping through the air on the trapeze. He dipped low down, almost to the water, before pulling up and twirling in the air, the blue streaks in his wings catching the light fantastically. Unfortunately, Dick saw the sun coming down and knew that he would have to stop flying soon. The sunset was coming and he didn't want to fall out of the sky when he transformed.  
Ra’s watched gleefully as Prince Bruce was transfixed by the black swan. The prince’s eyes were locked in the bird, admiring its obvious natural beauty. Bruce notched an arrow onto his bow, thinking of how magnificent a trophy that black swan would make. As the swan swooped low to the ground, ready to land, Bruce realized that he shouldn't kill the black swan. Its beauty was meant to live, to survive; it wouldn't be nearly as majestic dead and stuffed on Bruce’s mantle. The prince put his arrow back in the quiver and sat down on a boulder to watch the swan’s beauty from afar, framed by the sunset.   
Prince Bruce immediately jumped up in shock, however, when the beautiful black swan landed and began to glow with a light rivaling the sunset. It grew in shape until it was human, then stopped glowing to reveal the most handsome young man Bruce had ever seen. Seeing the silver crown on his head, Bruce assumed that this was the prince of the Gotham Forest. For all his beauty, Bruce thought that this man deserved the title.  
Dick was happy to be human again, but he was surprised to feel a little sad as well. While he didn't want to be a swan forever, the ability to fly was so incredible that he was upset to lose it at night. He sighed and started to head off to the flower beds where Barbara and the other cursed forest dwellers lived. He had been living with them for the past few days now, and was getting used to it. Barbara had even enchanted his acrobatic clothing so that it was cleaned and sparkled like new.  
Before he could make a move though, Dick was surprised to see a man he had yet to meet approaching him. Dick froze; he had no idea if this man was a friend of Barbara’s or of Ra’s. He wondered whether or not he should run, but the man spoke to him.  
“Hello there,” Prince Bruce said.


	4. Chapter 4

Almost as soon as Bruce spoke, Dick recognized him as the crown prince of the kingdom. Dick bent and the waist in an awkward bow.  
“How did you get into this part of the forest, uh, your highness?” Dick asked. Bruce seemed surprised.  
“You recognize me?” He replied.  
“My name is Dick Grayson. I’m from the nearest village. I used to live there with my godfather, Haley. At least, I used to…”  
“Used to?”  
“Well, until I was cursed by a sorcerer who lived in this forest. During the day, I become a black swan, but at night, I’m me again.”  
“That’s horrible! Is there anything you can do about it?”   
“I’ve befriended the Oracle of the forest, and she’s got some magic power, but not enough to break the spell permanently.”  
“I was surprised she had any power left,” Ra’s voice said. Dick and Bruce turned to see the Ra’s hawk form land near them and transform back into the older man. Ra’s looked at Bruce and scowled.  
“You know, it only would’ve taken one arrow to shoot him down,” Ra’s told him.  
“You want me to kill him?” Bruce asked.  
“This is the man who cursed me to be a swan,” Dick explained.  
“Yes, and I’m not happy to see that you aren't one right now,” Ra’s said. “As for you, hunter, you’re useless to me if you’re not going to kill that boy. As useless as say, a pig.”  
Ra’s readied his magic bottle of from the Lazarus Pit for Bruce and threw it, but Dick stepped in front of the prince. The strange green liquid was deflected by the crystal’s blue bird, who shielded Bruce and Dick with blue energy before disappearing. Ra’s frowned.  
“You can save him,” the sorcerer said to Dick. “Give me your crown, and I’ll leave the prince alone.”  
Bruce wasn't having any of that. He notched an arrow on his bow and aimed it at Ra’s before letting it fly. It didn't do much though, as Ra’s green magic stopped the arrow mid-flight, burning it up like it had been dipped in acid.   
“You obviously have no idea with whom you are dealing, boy.” Ra’s was about to throw more magic at them, but stopped when he heard yelling.   
“Father! Help me!” Talia screamed. Ra’s sighed in annoyance, then turned back to face Dick and Bruce.  
“Don't think this is over. I will be back for you two.” With that warning, Ra’s transformed back into a hawk and flew away.  
“Thank you for saving me,” Bruce said to Dick. The acrobat bowed.  
“Of course, your highness.”  
***  
Ra’s was surprised to find his daughter not in terrible danger, but surrounded by a surfeit of skunks. Two of Barbara’s little friends were laughing at Talia’s peril, urging the skunks on.  
“Spray, my little friends!” Stephanie yelled happily. Tim was doubled over laughing, but he stopped when he saw the menacing hawk that was Ra’s al Ghul.   
“Steph, stop, make them stop!” Tim warned. Stephanie called to the skunks to run, then fled with Tim behind some bushes.  
“Father! That foul girl used her magic on me! Make the smell go away! Please, Father!”  
“Calm down, Talia. You just-” Ra’s flinched as he got a whiff of his daughter. “NEED A BATH. I’ll, ugh, get you some vinegar and, oh, tomato juice. It’ll make that horrible smell go away.”  
Ra’s cast a spell on Tslia, turning her into a hawk as well before flying towards their palace. Talia continued to squawk complaints the entire way.   
***  
“I don't think I’ve ever seen such a display of bravery,” Bruce complimented.  
“Well, I’m wearing the Oracle’s crystal, so I was never really in any danger.”  
“That’s not what it looked like to me.”  
Dick blushed.  
“Well, I’m glad you’re alright, but maybe you should go, I don't want you to be in danger again,” he said.  
“Wait a minute, what is this place? Is this whole forest full of magic?”  
“I haven't seen that much of it yet, but I can show you Swan Lake and the flower beds where the other cursed people and I live.”  
“I'd like that.”  
Dick offered his hand to Bruce, who took it. Dick proceeded to lead Bruce to his new home. Following a trail that lead away from the lake, the two entered a little cavern that was carpeted with moss and other crawling flowers. Sleeping on a patch of soft moss was Cass, the forest dweller who was cursed to be a mouse. She woke up when she heard Dick and Bruce approaching. She sat up and gave a kneeling bow to Bruce when she noticed his crown.  
“That isn't necessary,” Bruce told her. She shrugged and got up, nodding to Dick in greeting.   
The three of them were joined by Jason, who stood just as tall as Bruce when he was in his human form.  
“Who’s this?” The unicorn asked.  
“This is Prince Bruce. He’s the ruler of the kingdom that Gotham Forest is in,” Dick introduced.  
“Well, if his prince-iness is going to stay the night in the forest with us, maybe he can be your dancing partner, Dickiebird. Since it’s a full moon tonight, Steph said we should have a dance.”  
“Yes, then we all have partners,” Cass spoke up.  
“It would be my pleasure to dance with you, Dick,” Bruce offered, causing Dick to blush again. Bruce offered his arm for Dick to hold and the acrobat accepted it. They walked out to Swan Lake, which was now illuminated by tons of fireflies. Steph and Tim had gathered berries and nuts from all over the forest for the group to eat for dinner and placed them on a fallen log that they used as a table. The six of them were then joined by Barbara. Bruce and Barbara both bowed to each other and were confused as to who outranked whom. After some initial confusion, they decided that they must be of equal power.   
After they all ate, Barbara used magic to get music to play from thin air. Bruce stood up from the log table and offered Dick his hand to dance, which Dick took. Dick felt nervous as the five forest dwellers watched he and Bruce take the ‘dance floor.’ Bruce sensed his partner's anxiety and decided to lead them into a waltz. Dick, being the acrobat that he was, danced along with Bruce easily. Soon enough they were gliding along the forest, and Dick forgot about the others watching. All that he thought of was how comfortable he was in Bruce’s arms, and how deep his icy blue eyes appeared. Before he knew it, Dick had lost himself in Bruce. He felt safe in the prince’s strong arms.  
The affection was mutual. In all of the balls Bruce had been to where he danced with royalty and nobility, his partners had never been as elegant as Dick. The acrobat was so effortlessly graceful, it was like he was born just to dance. Dick felt familiar to Bruce, like home, even though they barely knew each other. Bruce had never believed in fate before, especially after his parents were killed, but dancing the night away with Dick might have changed his mind.  
After dancing for hours, the two were tired, but the night was still young. They decided to rest their feet and and sat down in the flower beds. Dick started telling Bruce about the past week and how he had been cursed to become a swan, and Bruce listened eagerly. They ended up trading stories, Bruce of living in the royal palace his parents before they died, and Dick of flying through the air on the trapeze with his parents as the Flying Grayson. Above all that they bonded over that night, they two of them found that they understood each other’s losses better than anyone else they had ever met before, that their pain brought them together and made them both happy.  
The pair’s chemistry did not go unnoticed. As they danced and later as the talked, Barbara and the other creatures of the forest saw how they complemented each other perfectly. Dick was smiling much more than he had been in the past few days, and while they didn’t know it, Bruce was smiling more than he probably did in an entire month. They were meant for each other, and everyone knew it. As the dynamic duo got up to dance again, Stephanie leaned over to talk to Barbara.  
"You think they’ll fall in love and break the spell?” the blonde asked.  
“I think they already have. I suppose we’ll have to just wait and see,” Barbara said.


	5. Chapter 5

It was early morning when Bruce gave Dick an offer.  
“Dick, tomorrow night, I’m going to be throwing a royal ball. Will you come with me?” The prince asked. Dick wanted to say yes badly, but looking at the horizon, Dick could see the pinks and reds of a sunrise coming.   
“It’s almost dawn, Bruce…”  
“I’ll protect you in my castle. You can bring your godfather if you want to, just please come with me.”  
Dick saw the obvious hope on Bruce’s face, but he knew that he had to say no, at least for now.  
“Bruce, I don't know how or why, but I’m connected to this magic crystal. I need to stay here and help the others who Ra’s al Ghul has cursed. I’ll break the spell somehow.”  
“I’m not going to let Ra’s get away with this. I’ll come back with an army.”  
“You can’t, he’s too powerful. He’ll do to you what he’s done to me and the others here.”  
“I’ll take that risk!”  
“And what about the men in your army?”  
“…”  
“Go home, Bruce. I couldn't stand it if Ra’s hurt you to get to me.”  
“I can't just leave you here!”  
“You really want to help me?”  
“Of course.”  
“Then find my godfather. Tell him that I'm fine and that I’ll be home soon, I hope…”  
“But-”  
“Please, Bruce, do it for me? I’m safe as long as I have the crystal.”  
Before Bruce could protest any further, Dick began to glow with the same telltale light of his transformation. Soon enough, he was a black swan again.   
“Please, Bruce, go,” Dick pleaded.  
“Fine, but only if you promise to come to the castle.”  
“But-”  
“Then I stay here with you.”  
“…Alright, I’ll come tomorrow night, I promise.”   
Looking at his reflection in the surface of the water, Dick was sadly reminded of his animal form. He waddled into the water and began to swim, but looked back at Bruce, who looked just as heartbroken as Dick felt.  
***  
That day, Bruce rode into Dick’s village on horseback to look for Haley. Bruce rode up to the old circus tent and hopped off.  
“Hello?” Bruce called. Shockingly, an elephant trumpeting was the response he got. Turning around, Bruce was face-to-face with a member of the circus’ crew bringing a baby elephant into the tent.  
“Do you know where Mr. Haley is?” Bruce asked. The man shook his head.  
“I’m sorry your highness, but Haley is away right now, looking for his godson. Dick went missing a few days ago and no one has seen him since.”  
“I’m sorry. When Haley returns, be sure to notify me, alright? I need to talk to him.”  
“Of course, Prince Bruce.”  
***  
“Dick, we have an idea!” Barbara called. The Oracle was floating by the edge of the lake, accompanied by Stephanie in her skunk form. Dick swam over to them swiftly.  
“What is it?”   
“Well,” Steph started. “Barbara remembered that most magic spells can be broken my true love. And since you and Prince Bruce really hit it off last night… Maybe spending more time with him will break the spell! So since he’s having a ball tonight, you should go with him!”  
“You guys are really thinking about a ball at a time like this?” Dick said.  
“It could break the spell,” Barbara said. “Besides, you and Bruce looked so happy together when you were dancing last night. Bruce knows that you love him and I know for sure that he loves you. For Ra’s spell to be broken, Bruce only needs to admit that.”  
If swans could blush, Dick’s sure he would have been at that moment.  
“I don't know how long you guys have been living in this forest, but things work differently in town. I can't be with the prince, I’m only a circus boy. You have to be royalty to marry royalty,” he said.  
“I don't think that matters, Dick,” Barbara said. “True love is worth more than any amount of gold or jewels a prince can have. I may not have much magic left, but I do have enough to change your acrobatic clothing into proper ballware.”  
Barbara used some magic on Dick, but nothing happened.  
“Um, Barbara? Are you out of magic?” Dick asked.  
“No, you just can’t see the change yet since you’re still a swan. Look down at your reflection in the surface of the water.”  
Dick did as Barbara told, and was surprised to see his reflection was of his human self. Barbara had indeed used her magic on Dick’s clothes, changing the circus costume into an elegant black outfit. The outfit was still athletic, allowing Dick to move around freely in a way that suited him better than a stiff tuxedo would. Best of all, the chest was decorated by a blue bird with its wings outstretched, just like how his crystal’s magic shield appeared.  
“Thank you, Barbara,” Dick said.  
“It’s nothing. However, there is one problem.”  
“What is it?”  
“If, and only if, the prince confesses his love to someone else, his infidelity will cause your crystal to lose its power.”  
***  
Unknown to them, Barbara, Stephanie and Dick’s conversation was being listened in on by one of Ra’s al Ghul’s spies. A small falcon, knowing the Oracle’s plan, flew off through the forest towards Ra’s palace. The little falcon came in through an open window and landed on a perch in Ra’s study.  
“What news do you know, Ubu?” Ra’s asked the falcon, who cawed his secrets to his master. Hearing his enemies’ plan, Ra’s leaned back in his chair and grinned.  
“I see the magic crystal isn’t invincible after all. Talia!”  
His daughter came running into Ra’s study when he called her name.  
“Yes, Father?”  
“Tonight, you will go to the royal ball. My spies tell me that Dick is planning to meet the prince there.”   
Ra’s took his magic liquid from the Lazarus Pit and splashed a small amount on Talia.  
“Now every time someone sees you, especially the prince, they’ll see that silly swan boy.”  
“So?”  
“So, you can trick him into declaring his love for you instead and cause the crystal to lose its power. Can you do that for me, Talia?”  
“Of course, Father.”   
“Once the crystal loses its power, I can claim my destiny as the ruler of the Gotham Forest! And after that, who knows what places we can conquer? Perhaps we’ll take a liking to the prince’s royal palace!”  
***  
“It’s nothing, now get going! The ball should be starting soon!”  
A little before sunset came, Dick said goodbye to Barbara and the other animals and took flight towards the palace with hope in his heart that their plan would work. At the palace, the ballroom had been decorated and guests were arriving one after the other. Bruce stood at the main doors of the castle, waiting for Dick to arrive. Each time a prince or princess stepped out of a carriage that wasn’t the acrobat, Bruce became more and more worried that Dick wouldn’t come at all. Alfred noticed his master’s distress.  
“Master Bruce, is something wrong? The ball is beginning and you’re standing here like you’re one of the guards,” Alfred said.  
“I’m waiting for someone.”  
“A future bride or groom I hope.”  
“I guess so.”  
“Why that’s wonderful, Master Bruce! I want you to introduce me the minute they arrive!”  
“If they arrive…”   
Bruce stood along the edge of the dancefloor, scanning the crowd for any sign of Dick. There was still time until sunset, so maybe he should be looking for Dick’s swan form? Bruce would go outside to the forest to look for him if he wasn’t surrounded by eligible princesses trying to get his attention. He shooed them away so he could keep looking, but it was starting to look hopeless.  
“No sign of your special someone?” Alfred asked.  
“Not yet, Alfred.”  
“Well, you can’t be rude. The room is full of young ladies and gentlemen that would love to dance with you. Find someone wonderful to dance with while you wait, Master Bruce.”  
Bruce scanned the crowd again and found his cousin, Kate Kane, who was dancing with her girlfriend, Maggie. Bruce stepped onto the dancefloor and made a beeline for them.  
“Excuse me, but my I cut in?” he asked the two of them. Maggie didn’t seem happy at first, but let her girlfriend go.  
“Hello, cousin,” Kate said as Bruce and her started dancing.  
“Good to see you, Kate.” Bruce let Kate lead the dance so that he could focus on looking for Dick.  
As the royal cousins danced, they didn’t notice Ra’s al Ghul come in with Talia, whose magic made her appear to be Dick.  
“Not a word, Talia. Your voice will give you away,” Ra’s whispered.  
“Yes, Father.”  
As the dance ended, Talia stepped onto the dancefloor, and was immediately spotted by Bruce. His face lit up with joy when he saw who he thought to be his true love. He excused himself and told Kate to dance with her girlfriend again. As he approached Ra’s and “Dick,” Alfred come over to Prince Bruce.   
“This is him!” the prince exclaimed. “I’m so glad you came!”  
“We wouldn’t miss it,” Ra’s said.


	6. Chapter 6

“Will you dance with me?” Bruce gave a bow and offered “Dick” his hand, who accepted. The couple walked to the center of the dance floor, where they gained the attention of all the other dancers. “Dick” took the lead of the dance, leaping like a ballerina as Bruce watched, beaming at his true love. Little did he know the real Dick was still flying, desperately trying to get to the ball.  
Bruce held “Dick”’s hand up high in his to twirl the acrobat.  
“You know,” he said. “I promised my butler I’d find myself a groom tonight, and I never break a promise."  
From the sides of the ballroom, Alfred and Ra’s were watching them and talking.  
“It seems Master Bruce is absolutely enamored with your son, sir,” Alfred commented.  
“Yes, it appeared he is.” Ra’s’ grin grew, looking more and more sinister.  
High above the ballroom, Dick finally reached the palace and flew overhead. He supposed he would have to wait until sunset so that he could change back, but as he looked through the skylight, Dick saw Bruce, (His Bruce!), dancing with Talia al Ghul. Noticing the black swan, Ra’s put his hand over his heart where a vial of green liquid from the Lazarus Pit was kept. Through it couldn’t be seen, the liquid burned against the sorcerer’s chest as it worked its magic, shutting the open window telekinetically and keeping Dick out.  
Now outraged, Dick flew around the ballroom and tried to get in through the other high windows, but each time he came close, they shut magically. There was nothing Dick could do but hover outside and watch his lover dance with someone else.  
On the dance floor, the song was getting close to ending. “Dick” did one last spin, landing in Bruce’s waiting arms.  
“I guess what it is I’m trying to say is, will you marry me?” the prince asked. Ra’s took this as his cue to step onto the dance floor as well.  
“I couldn’t help overhearing, your highness,” the older man explained. “Are you asking for my son’s hand in marriage?”  
“Yes, sir. I am.”  
“Well that’s wonderful! I’m very flattered but I must ask: Do you love him?”  
“Yes.” Bruce didn’t hesitate. “I love him more than I’ve ever loved anyone else before.”  
Those words were a shot to Dick’s heart. As soon as they were out of Bruce’s mouth, Dick gasped; he could feel the crystal on his crown lose its magic. He felt weak and couldn’t find the strength in his wings to continue flying. Before he could stop himself, Dick was falling to the ground. He hit the grass outside the ballroom with a thud, but no one inside notice the injured black swan.  
“Thank you, your highness, you’ve been very helpful!” Ra’s shouted, the illusion he cast on his daughter wearing off. Everyone in the room gasped as the handsome young man was revealed to be Talia. Bruce ripped his hand out of Talia’s grasp in disgust. If he wished for anything in the world at that moment, it would be that he could take those words back.  
“Ra’s al Ghul,” Bruce growled, his voice gravelly with anger. “What did you do with Dick?”  
“Who cares? You’ve already pledged your love to my daughter!” Ra’s used his magic to transform Talia and himself into hawks, gaining another round of gasps and screams from the crowd. There weren’t any guards in the ballroom, but Harvey grabbed a sword from a suit of armor and gave it to the prince. Bruce stood at the ready, but Ra’s wasn’t in the mood for fighting. He and Talia opened the doors of the ballroom and flew away.  
Before they could get far, they noticed the black swan lying unconscious on the ground a small distance away. They changed back just as Dick began to glow and transform back to normal. He was on his stomach, out cold. He seemed to have broken his right arm from the fall; it was bruised and swollen.  
“What a pretty boy. Let’s see how brave you are without that crystal,” Ra’s said. He reached down and plucked the crown from Dick’s head, removing the crystal. It was no longer the brilliant blue sapphire it was before. Without its magic, the crystal was a dull gray, like colored glass. Ra’s gave the crown to Talia.  
“Here you are, by dear. A reward for your much needed help.”  
“Thank you, Father.”  
As Ra’s leant over Dick’s body in victory, Talia examined the silver crown. As she admired it, she noticed the roof of the ballroom in the reflective silver. To her surprise, Prince Bruce was crouched on the edge, ready to ambush Ra’s al Ghul.  
“Father, watch out!” she cried. Ra’s moved out of the way, just as Bruce jumped down. His sword was drawn defensively as he knelt down to check if Dick was okay.  
“Come to discuss your wedding plans, boy?” Ra’s joked. Bruce swung his sword, but Ra’s splashed his sword with green Lazarus magic and turned the blade into a feather. Seeing it was useless, Bruce dropped the feather and changed his strategy.  
Out of nowhere, Barbara appeared with Jason in a burst of energy. While Bruce had Ra’s and Talia distracted, they ran to see Dick.  
“We’re too late, aren’t we?” Jason lamented.  
“Not yet,” Barbara said. “He’s still alive! Quick help me pick her up.”  
Jason picked Dick up, trying to be gentle with the acrobat’s wounded arm. Barbara floated over to an empty carriage, clearly belonging to a noble who had come to the ball. Jason opened the carriage doors and placed Dick inside. Barbara floated in with him and sat next to him, making sure that he was alright. Jason sat on the carriage driver’s bench and took the reins, getting the horses pulling it to gallop away.  
“Well Ra’s? Come and get me!” Bruce taunted. Ra’s threw a huge amount of magic at Bruce, but the prince dodged at the last moment to hide behind Talia. The Lazarus Pit’s magic hit her instead, causing her to scream as she started glowing and shrinking. Both Ra’s and Bruce watch as Talia was replaced by … a pig.  
“Talia! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to hit you!” Ra’s cried. Talia oinked and squealed in terror.  
“Father, change me back! Change me back now!” she screamed, in between snorts.  
“They’re getting away!”  
“Father, help me first! Please!”  
Ra’s didn’t bother. Instead, he transformed into a hawk and flew away, leaving Talia alone.  
Luckily enough, Jason and Barbara had a head start against Ra’s. They had already reached the woods before they saw Ra’s flying overhead in hawk form. Jason whipped the reins to get the horses to go faster, but it was no good, they were already running as fast as they could. Ra’s was right on their tail. The sorcerer used magic to uproot a tree in front of the carriage and block the way. Jason tried to stop the horses, but it was too late. Even with the spooked horses digging their hooves into the ground, the carriage still crashed, breaking off from its wheels and landing beyond the fallen tree. Jason groaned in pain, reaching up and seeing that he was bleeding from his hairline. He could only pray that Barbara and Dick were okay.  
With his prey stopped, Ra’s al Ghul landed and turned back to his human form. He threw open the door of the carriage, causing Barbara and Dick to fall out onto the forest floor.  
“Now, for the boy,” Ra’s requested.  
“I don’t think so, asshole!” Jason yelled, but he winced as he took a step forward. He had sprained his ankle in the crash, giving him a limp.  
“Leave Dick alone, Ra’s,” Barbara said. “Your fight is with me, isn’t it?”  
“You’re right, Oracle,” Ra’s said, readying an attack of green Lazarus Pit magic. Before Barbara could ready a defense, Ra’s threw the magic liquid at her, causing her to glow. Jason feared for the worst, but thankfully, Barbara was only transformed into a weasel.  
Just when it appeared that all hope was lost, Jason heard the galloping of another horse, this one being the prince’s stead. Bruce appeared just in time with his bow and arrow aimed to fire. He let it fly, but Ra’s disintegrated it just like before. Bruce reached for his quiver to get another arrow.  
“You don’t know when to give up, do you boy?” Ra’s asked.  
Behind the sorcerer’s back, Dick’s eyes fluttered open. He sat up from where he was lying on the mossy ground to see Bruce with an arrow notched, Ra’s al Ghul only a few feet away. The prince let arrow after arrow fly, backing up as he did to get more distance in between him and Ra’s.  
“Did you really think a puny little human could stop me?!” Ra’s yelled in anger.  
“Bruce!” Dick yelled. The acrobat got up fully, but stumbled unsteadily. For once in his life, Dick couldn’t find his balance immediately.  
“Dick!” Bruce ran over to him, holding Dick in his arms to keep the acrobat upright. “You don’t have the crystal any more!”  
He was right. Both of them were now defenseless against Ra’s, who fired a blast of green magic at them. The energy from the Lazarus Pit shot through the couple, knocking them to the ground. They lay there on a flower bed, knocked out, their arms around each other even in their final moments together.  
“At last! This forest is mine!” Ra’s exclaimed, completely ecstatic with his victory. He laughed with joy, his win was short lived. The magic crystal began to glow its signature deep blue from its place in Ra’s pocket. As the crystal’s light grew brighter and brighter, lifting Ra’s off the ground from the amount of magic emitting from it. The bright blue color enveloped Ra’s so completely, he couldn’t even be seen other than as the center of a super bright white light.  
At its peak of brightness, the crystal exploded outwards, spreading its blue magic all over the forest floor. Every plant the light touched blossomed to its fullest potential, and all the fireflies in the area glowed to match it. The creature of the forest hit with its blue sparks were healed from their ailments: Jason of his injuries and Barbara of her curse to be a weasel. Finally, the blue energy of the crystal landed on Dick and Bruce, healing Dick’s broken arm and waking the couple up from their magic-induced sleep.  
Waking up to find Dick in his arms, Bruce was confused but happy. He didn’t remember what had happened before he went to sleep, but he did remember that he loved everything about the acrobat in his arms. He closed the gap between them and kissed Dick, cradling his face in his hands. Dick, shocked awake by the kiss, opened his eyes to see it was Bruce he was kissing, and started kissing back. The two stayed locked together, lips pressed passionately to their lover’s. Both would’ve been happy to stay like that forever, but their memories of how they got in that situation came rushing back. They pulled apart and got up.  
“Dick, I’m sorry about the ball,” Bruce said. “Ra’s tricked me into thinking Talia was you. You’re the one I love, not her. I want you to be my lover, if you’ll have me.”  
Dick stood up on his toes and kissed Bruce again.  
“Does that answer your question?” Dick asked playfully, grinning wide enough it practically split his face in two.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Raise your hand if you want an epilogue!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Epilogue

With Ra’s al Ghul gone, all cursed creatures of the forest were returned to normal. When dawn came, everyone was happy to see that they remained human. Barbara and the others went back to their homes, happy to be welcomed back by their friends. Dick came back to his village, running into his godfather’s open arms as soon as he saw Haley and enthusiastically told him, along with the rest of the circus crew, all about his time in the forest as a black swan. Dick’s favorite elephant even lifted the acrobat up with her trunk.  
Of course, Dick was accompanied by Bruce, whose mere presence brought bows and curtsies of respect for the prince. He played it all off like it was nothing, since he was overjoyed just to be with his lover. When all the initial excitement over Dick’s return died down, Bruce pulled Haley over to ask for the man’s blessing. The old man of course said yes; he would agree to anything if it meant making his godson happy.   
The next day, Dick packed his few belongings and brought them to the royal palace. While he had seen the ballroom during the dance, he hadn't seen any of the rest castle. Dick was taken aback by the beauty of it; the marble floors, the tall ceilings, the colorful stained windows, the luxurious furniture. It was a sharp contrast to the rustic circus life Dick was used too, but it meant living together with Bruce, so Dick was sure he’d love it. Alfred was glad to meet Dick properly, and the acrobat was honored to meet the man who had raised Prince Bruce so well.   
Alfred did remind them of something important the young couple had both forgotten about though: when were they going to get married? Bruce suggested holding the ceremony in the palace gardens and have another ball to celebrate. Alfred agreed, but Dick had a better idea. Because of the friendships he had made with the forest dwellers over the past week or so, Dick wanted their wedding to be on the shore of Swan Lake, with as many people as possible invited. Bruce and Alfred were more than happy to make Dick’s dream happen. Bruce and Dick lived together happily for a long time in the royal palace. For years, the two of them lived in the palace alone, with the exception of Alfred of course. But one day, a third came to join them.  
One day while they were on a ride through the forest, the royal couple discovered a child they had never seen before. They had spent the morning visiting Barbara and the other forest dwellers when they found a young boy who appeared to be lost. He was walking along the edge of Swan Lake, watching some of the aptly named birds swimming across the water. They didn't say anything at first, but that changed when the boy took out a bow and arrow and aimed straight for the swans.  
“Hey, stop!” Dick yelled. Thankfully the boy heard him and loosened his grip on the bowstring.   
“Why would you try and kill the swans? They haven't done anything to you,” Dick told him, but the boy shook his head.  
“I was told that a swan is what killed my grandfather. My mother says that every swan in the forest must be killed so that we can live safely here,” the boy said.   
“Your grandfather?” Dick repeated, then gasped as he realized the boy was talking about Ra’s.   
“Yes, the great Ra’s al Ghul. A few years ago my grandfather was killed and my mother was transformed into a pig by an evil swan. I’ve made it my mission to get revenge,” the boy explained. He notched his arrow again, but stopped when he saw Barbara floated over to them.  
“What’s wrong?” The Oracle asked them.  
“Babs, this boy is the grandson of Ra’s al Ghul. He says that Talia is his mother and that she told him to kill all the swans in the forest.” Barbara frowned.  
“The magic that changed her into a pig must have worn off when Ra’s died. After all, she was under Ra’s spell, just as all of us were,” she concluded.  
“Wait, Mother was cursed by a swan, not by my grandfather,” the boy argued, but Barbara shook her head.  
“I know it was Ra’s who transformed her. I was there when it happened. It was an accident, but it doesn't change the fact that your grandfather cursed all of us to become animals. His death broke the curse and restored all the damage he had done to the forest.”  
“You must be lying! My grandfather would never do such a thing!”  
“It’s true. In fact, the swan that broke the curse is standing right next to you.”  
The boy turned his bow to Dick.  
“So you're the one who killed my grandfather then!”  
“No!” Dick cried, putting his hands up in surrender. “I only broke the curse he had put on me.”  
“Grandfather’s spells could only be broken by his death!”  
“That’s not true! They had one weakness: true love. When the prince confessed his love for me, the spell was broken.”  
The boy lowered his bow, clearly confused.   
“But that means… everything my mother told me were lies?”  
“I’m sorry, but it’s true,” Barbara said. “Ra’s and Talia were forceful conquerors of this forest and did anything necessary to take control, especially lie. By breaking his spell, we were only defending ourselves. We didn't know that Ra’s al Ghul had a grandson. If we did, we would have done everything we could to protect you from his influence.”  
“Well, where will I go now? My mother will only lie to me,” the boy asked.  
“You can stay with me and the other forest dwellers. I know for certain they'll welcome you,” Barbara offered.  
“Actually, you can come to the royal palace with me and Bruce,” Dick said. “Since we did hurt your family, I think it would only be fair to give you a new place to live.”  
“The royal palace?”  
“Yes. My husband is King Bruce. I’m sure he’ll understand your pain. He lost his parents when he was young, and so did I.”  
The boy didn't say anything for a moment, then spoke up.  
“I believe I will go with you to the royal palace. My grandfather and mother promised that I would be the prince of this forest, but it seems that is not true. At least in the royal palace I will be treated just as well as I should be.”  
“Hold on there, little prince,” Dick said with a chuckle. “I don't even know your name yet.”  
“My name is Damian al Ghul.”  
“Well Damian, from now on you’ll be Damian of the Wayne royal family. Prince Damian of the Wayne royal family.”  
That put a smile on Damian’s face. Dick reached down and ruffled the boy’s hair. Bruce had been talking about adopting a child for some time now. Dick couldn't wait to introduce him to Damian.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a ton of fun to write. Maybe if people like it I'll do another Fairy Tale retelling. I was thinking of Billy and Tommy from Young Avengers as the Prince and the Pauper. How's that sound?


End file.
